St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-01
Mercenary and Swindling
Manufacturers Of Alleged
Life Preservers
Furnish Belts to the Pro-
peller Vernon Stuffed
Only With Grass,
And Which, Instead Of Float
, ing, Aided in Drowning
) the Wrecks Victims.
A Disaster in Which Four
Lives Are Lost--The Cas-
ualty Record.

Is MILWAUKEE, Oct. 31.-Every vessel
known to have passed the scene OF the
propeller Vernons wreck off Two
Rivers point last Saturday has UNI
doubtedly reached port by this time,
and as none have reported picking up
ANYBODY on the lake, there is now no
doubt that every one aboard of her
when she left Glen Haven is dead, as no
one could survive the exposure to the
intense cold more than few hours.
The crew numbered twenty-siX, and it
is believed the passengers did not eX-
coed ten in all, as the low stage of
water prevented the Vernon from land
ing at her two principal ports, Charlie
yoiy and Frankfort. The only names
additional to those previously given are
those of William AlberS, of Sauhvllle,
Wis. Miss Dunlevy, of st. James, Bea-
yer Island, and butcher, deck hand.
Five fishing tugs left Two Rivers this
afternoon and eight miles off the life
saving station one of them encountered
mass of wreckage. 1t Included yaWl
boat with the name Vernon painted on
it, piece OF an ice box and piece OF
the cabin. Five oars were strapped to
Y J., W
had two holes i'll her bottom. Another
tug found some of the VernOn'S buckets
floating about. Twelve miles northeast
of Sheb0ygan fishing tug came across
a life raft. The words Str. Vernon"
were stamped on it. There was pro-
miscuouS lot of clothing on the raft, but
no papers were found on them.
NOT A SINGLE BODY
has been found, and the ten men who
were reported frozen stiff and stark in
their life preserverS have not been seen
again. The wind is off shore, and the
tendency is to drive all the fioaters to
mid lake. The wreckage must have
been scattered in all directions, as sec
lions of the pilot house have been found
eighteen miles apart. This morning
the captain of the life saving station at
Two Rivers and the Associated Press
correspondent examined the life pre-
servers picked up off Sheboy-
gan reefs, and found them almost
worthless. They had evidently
all been worn, as the belts remained
tied, but were made of grass instead of
cork, and had become so saturated that
they were too heavy to float a body, and
had apparently been slipped off by the
WearerS when they found themselves
being dragged down by their weight.
The knot of one had been cut as though
with knife, and the captain of the life
savers thought it probable that the
wearer had done it when he found him
self settling in the water. The worth
less character Of the life preseryers has
caused considerable indignation.
Chicago. Oct. 31.-An Inter Ocean
special from ManitowOc says very little
more is known of the lost propeller
Vernon. Diligent search has been made,
but no more bodies have been found. a
fishing boat this morning picked up a
life boat having the name Vernon
on it, The boat had two holes in the bot
tom. but gave 10 evidence of having been
occupied by any one. A pail belonging
to the steamer was also picked up
eight miles from Two Rivers by the tug
Albatr oss, which would indicate that
If any bodies come ashore it will be at a
point several miles south of here. Capt.
Seymour, once in command of the
Champlain, says that Judging from the
travel on the line when he was Connected
with it. about thirty-five people must
have persisted. The general opinion is
that the disaster occurred near the
treacherous Two Rivers Point.